Summary:  This story was written for the 2016 Advent Collection.

Rating:  G  (390 words)

A Gift of Memories by dancediva

Watching and waiting, I stayed close to camp on this lonely night. I wondered what life would bring in this upcoming year after the ruthless journey made. Hoss and Adam slept peacefully within the wagon. They were not watching and waiting for signs of life in the middle of the night, nor should they be at this time of night. A time of night which presented a hollow feeling that every man endured at some point in their life.

Leaning against the back of the wagon, I reached for the walking stick that stayed on trail with us for the last three days. With the fire dying out, I broke the walking stick into smaller pieces and threw them into the fire. A shadow of doubt lingered and in the time it took me to break the wood and throw it into the fire, I felt the presence of familiarity in the practice.

My mind remembered a time when Inger brought back a life which was burned.

“Oh Ben, there is only one reason we cannot stop traveling.”  Inger’s shadow lingered near while he watched the fire.

“Oh and why is that?”

“If we could no longer continue living, then we will need to stop traveling. Other than that, we do not have a reason to stop moving forward.”

With that statement, Inger’s shadow left the fire but still lingered in my mind.  The snow continued falling and the thought of stopping on the trail was no longer an option. With the sun rising in the east, the boys began rustling.

For the first time since Inger’s death, I felt a peace to continue my journey out west. Inger’s death was not an end to our dream but a symbol of hope for the future. Inger’s death acknowledged that life is not always fair, but will still give you the gift of life if you open up enough to receive that gift.

As the fire continued burning, I took the reins to begin back on our journey out west. Inger’s shadow lingered beside me on the seat, and with her presence I continued to fulfill our dream. During a season of joy, memories and hope were the only reason to keep moving forward.

 

Link to the 2016 Advent Calendar – Day 14 – A Christmas Wish (by Patina)